The Dallas Cowboys made some offseason moves in the hope of getting back to contention, and one of them was in the QB department. Will Grier was signed by Jerry Jones to be a reserve, but after the franchise brought in the likes of Joe Milton and Sam Howell, he was cut by the team. However, just a month later, he joined the Carolina Panthers, in a move that will see him return home.
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“As the draft draws closer and teams fill out their rosters, Cowboys QB Will Grier is signing with Carolina, where he started his NFL career in 2019,” NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on X. “Grier now will join a quarterback room that includes Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett.”
It’s a familiar turf for Grier. He grew up in Davidson, North Carolina, got drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round in 2019, and started the final two games of that season. Post that he has been a journeyman in the league, but after seven years, he will return to play for his hometown team after being cut by the Dallas Cowboys.
As the draft draws closer and teams fill out their rosters, Cowboys QB Will Grier is signing with Carolina, where he started his NFL career in 2019. Grier now will join a quarterback room that includes Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett.
With Dak Prescott as the starter and Joe Milton already on the roster, the addition of Howell left no room for Grier. Honestly, the move made sense. Howell has 18 career starts and has thrown 645 regular-season passes, mostly during his tenure with the Washington Commanders. In contrast, Will Grier has only two career starts (both in 2019) and has not appeared in a regular-season game for several years.
Between his first stint in Carolina and this return, Grier cycled through the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles until he joined Dallas for the second time in 2024. But his NFL stat line has recorded just two starts for Carolina as a rookie. He lost both, completing just 53.8 percent of his passes for 228 yards with zero touchdowns and four interceptions. Additionally, a foot injury against the New Orleans Saints sidelined him for the rest of the season.
The Panthers demoted him to third-string, and he didn’t play a single game before they released him in August 2021. But now, he is back again. Carolina has already traded away Andy Dalton, signed Kenny Pickett to a one-year deal, and now adds Grier to the depth chart as a free agent. He is expected to compete for the No. 2 spot with Kenny Pickett. However, Grier’s arrival looks more like a logical step towards a productive training camp.
Now teams are not looking for proven starters. They are looking for enough working depth to get through offseason work, training camp reps, and preseason competition. Grier fits that profile. Plus, for Grier, it will be a proud moment as his hometown, Davidson, is roughly 30 minutes from the Bank of America Stadium.
Having a veteran like him, who has a close affiliation with the team, is certainly a great pickup, as he can help the youngsters understand what it means to play for the franchise. With his arrival, the Panthers now have a balance in the QB department. But with the draft less than a week away, the franchise will have to look at its options in the other positions.
Carolina’s real business starts at pick no. 19
The Panthers hold the 19th overall selection in the draft, along with 6 more picks across the other rounds. Head Coach Dave Canales hasn’t committed to a position, but has a few places he’s looking at drafting.
“It’s like, who can impact our team at that level?” Canales said at the annual league meeting in Phoenix. “It could be a wideout. It would be a tight end. Could be a safety. There are a couple of dynamic safeties that could free us up. The pass-rush class, we’ve got to still kind of see where they are at the top.”
Canales also added one constraint that cut through the noise: “I don’t believe in drafting for depth.” This means they are looking for immediate impact players for 2026, just like how they drafted wide receivers Xavier Legette and Tetaiora McMillan with their first-round picks in the last two drafts.
Still, the O-line seems to be the room that needs an instant fix. Offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu ruptured his patellar tendon in the playoff loss against the Los Angeles Rams. While he rehabs, the Panthers have signed Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal. The other option they have is Taylor Moton, but he turns 32 in August and hits free agency in 2027.
Defensively, the Panthers ranked among the worst in the league in pressure rate (29.6%), and ranked 28th in sacks last season (30 sacks). Additionally, safety Nick Scott led the team with 111 tackles last season, but has struggled in coverage. However, they could use the draft to find solutions to their problems in the draft.
- Max Iheanachor, OT (Arizona State) – Picked up football five years ago and is already a first-round prospect. He hadn’t allowed a single sack and 14 pressures last season.
- Blake Miller, OT (Clemson) – Started consecutive games at Clemson. At 6’7”, 317 pounds with 34¼ arms, he’s the more polished option: lower ceiling than Iheanachor, but higher floor. He’s a Day 2 candidate with a 7.7 grade as a key contributor.
- Dillon Thieneman, S (Oregon) – He has 302 career tackles to his name, and a 4.35-second 40-yard dash with a 41-inch vertical. Having recorded a 91.0 PFF grade, most mocks have him going to the Minnesota Vikings at 18th overall. But if the Vikings go elsewhere, he’s a prime pick at 19.
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S (Toledo) – Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft sends him to Carolina at 19. More physical than Thieneman, pairing McNeil-Warren with Tre’von Moehrig could help with zone coverage and run defense immediately.
- Kenyon Sadiq, TE (Oregon) – The only tight end with a credible first-round grade in this class. Coach Canales has already identified tight end as a positional need. He needs to slide to be in play at 19, but if he does, he gives Young a red-zone option and a legitimate second weapon behind McMillan.
The Panthers are not locked into a position; they’re instead looking for impact. Carolina could easily opt for one of the five players listed above, or go for a wideout in the first round to help Bryce Young. Either way, the QB room is locked in, and the rest of the roster needs to be polished around Young to give Carolina the best shot at making a bigger impact this season.
